Anticipated completion dates announced for roadway improvements near LAX

Los Angeles International Airport officials have announced the anticipated completion dates for improvements to two intersections of Imperial Highway near the south side of the airport and one intersection on the west side along Pershing Drive.

The roadway improvements are designed to mitigate the impacts of construction traffic related to the Bradley West Project, a three-year, $1.5-billion modernization of the Tom Bradley International Terminal that is scheduled to be finished in December 2012, airport officials said.

Construction for all three intersections began Sept. 7 and is slated to be completed on the following dates in 2011:

· Main Street and Imperial Highway, Jan. 4;

· Pershing Drive and Imperial Highway, May 4; and

· Pershing Drive and Bradley West Drive, May 4.

Motorists can expect some delays when traveling through these areas. To bypass any possible congestion, motorists accessing the LAX Central Terminal Area from coastal communities via Vista Del Mar can travel east on Grand Avenue or El Segundo Boulevard to North Sepulveda Boulevard.

The first intersection improvement includes creating an additional left-turn lane in the westbound direction of Imperial Highway onto Main Street that will require upgrading existing storm drains, street lights, traffic signals, and other related improvements. The second intersection improvement includes constructing an additional right-turn lane in the westbound direction of Imperial Highway onto Pershing Drive that will require upgrading existing traffic signals, relocating street lights, and other related improvements.

Also included in the $2.2 million project is construction of a new driveway and installation of temporary traffic signals to improve access into an existing parking lot on the east side of Pershing Drive, just south of World Way West, which will be used for construction worker parking.

The Los Angeles City Council approved the Bradley West Project in October 2009. The project’s environmental impact report concluded that construction traffic traveling to and from the primary construction staging areas would have a significant impact on two intersections of Imperial Highway throughout the construction phase, and recommended specific measures to mitigate the impacts.